This is a blog about traveling on a budget but still experiencing the cities and towns we visit.

Saturday, April 5, 2014

Renting a car in Jordan

We
rented a car from Thrifty at the Amman airport for just under $300USD
for a week. Gas for all of our driving around cost approximately
$125USD. Gas stations in Jordan are cash-only and full-service.
Overall, our driving experience was positive as the roads were in
good condition and usually well signed. Our primary point of concern
was other drivers. It seems that very few drivers use turn signals,
pulling into oncoming traffic at 5 miles an hour is not considered a
hazard, and there is a lot of seemingly random horn honking.

There
are frequent checkpoints along the main highways. A police officer
will hold up a stop sign and wave you to the side of the road. When
we were chosen to pull over, I would hand over my driver's license
(my U.S. license, as I did not get an international driver's license)
and the car registration card that Thrifty provided. Most police
officers spoke some English and would usually ask us where we were
from and maybe where we were headed and then we'd be on our way.

My
general advice for others would be that if you are going to drive in Jordan,
don't speed, drive defensively, and know that Google maps is not
complete for Jordan. While GPS worked very well, the road map itself
was not up to date and many places in Jordan do not use street
addresses. If you're unsure of where you're going, it's best to get
directions before setting off.

We would not have seen this amazing view of Jordan and the Dead Seaif we had not rented a car and wandered off on our own.